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In my previous article about how to get a family history started, I recommended writing a biography about a favorite ancestor. In this article, I write about starting your family history with a family tree.
Assumptions: In these articles, I assume that the final goal is an online ancestral family history using a blog platform.
» Read more: The top three ways to get your family history started ? No. 2: A family tree
Do you want to publish your family history on the Internet?
The answer is, “Yes”. The primary reason is to capture and preserve in one place all family memories so that everyone can see it – and different family members can contribute. And, for most people, a blog is the best Internet publishing platform because it is relatively easy to learn and it costs little or nothing.
What if you are only interested in genealogy and a family tree plus a few photos and notes?
Interest in family tree research is growing rapidly, with North America, the UK and the Antipodies leading the way. Perhaps this is hardly surprising as North America, Australia and New Zealand are the ‘New World’ seeded by Europe, and by Britain and Ireland in particular. The histories of all these countries are intertwined and for any English speaking family historian looking further back than the 1900′s, it is likely that part of the family is located in these areas. For those living in the New World, who are not from the indigenous population, all roads lead to Europe, at least as far as family history research goes.
Luckily, family tree research and creation has never been easier, even though distance from the source can still be a problem. There are numerous free family tree software packages on the web giving information and support on how to create a family tree and enabling users to create and print their family tree in ever more interesting ways. One downside of these “free” family tree products is that sometimes they are integrated within commercial websites that require you to use their other (paid for) services in order to access this “free” service. Also, always check the terms and conditions to ensure that by using a free site to begin building your family tree you are not giving the provider any rights over the family tree information that you add. The website My Heritage is an exception and offers free access to family tree charts and other helpful services with no strings attached. Family tree software is also free to download from the Legacy Family Tree website, and the Family Search site, whereas the very popular Family Tree Maker by Ancestry.com has to be paid for.